Apple, Google Reroute Employee Buses After Series of Alleged Attacks Near San Francisco

Apple and Google have rerouted shuttle buses which carry employees from San Francisco to their out-of-town headquarters after a series of possible attacks broke the vehicles’ windows in the past week.

Per Mashable, sources at Apple believe an unknown party assaulted the buses in transit with rocks, BB guns, rubber bullets, or something else—though no explanation is yet forthcoming for the damage. Mashable obtained an email explaining that Apple has decided to route the buses significantly enough from their normal routes that some employees should expect an additional 30 to 45 minutes of transit time each way:

Subject: Coaches temporarily being rerouted

Due to recent incidents of broken windows along the commute route, specifically on highway 280, we’re re-routing coaches for the time being. This change in routes could mean an additional 30-45 minutes of commute time in each direction for some riders.

As always, the safety of our employees is our first priority. We’re working closely with law enforcement to investigate these incidents and we’ll notify you as soon as the coaches are able to return to the regular route. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

The Apple Commute Team

Per TechCrunch, the damage has occurred to at least five Apple buses traveling “off Highway 280 near Woodside, California” between San Francisco and its compound in Cupertino, seemingly ruling out the possibility it was somehow accidental. According to SFGate, at least one Google bus suffered similar damage.

According to Mashable, California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel confirmed that the agency was investigating reports of an “unknown object” impacting shuttle windows, though he did not provide additional information. Police told the San Francisco Examiner that the buses lack any company-specific logos, though other reports indicated no attacks on other bus services like Greyhound.

The shuttle buses used by numerous high-profile tech companies to carry staff to and from San Francisco neighborhoods with skyrocketing property prices have long been seen as a symbol of gentrification—and they’ve been repeatedly protested and sometimes subjected to vandalism, not to mention the target of lawsuits, in the past. As Wired noted in 2016:

The real problem—the reason the protests won’t stop for good anytime soon—is that to many, these private shuttles are the rolling symbol of a class war pitting young, cash-rich tech workers against long-time San Franciscans who are being pushed out of their homes by evictions and out of the city altogether by astronomical rent prices. (Indeed, a 2015 Forbes ranking of worst cities to rent in closed with San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco in the top three spots.)

“Google Bus” has become a synecdoche for “money flaunting Tech 2.0 oppressors.”

It’s possible this is some kind of extremely ill-advised and dangerous attempt to fight back against Silicon Valley overlords by busting bus windows. But the reality is that the motive remains totally unclear at this point—and it’s really just luck that no one has been hurt.

17 Comments

The stretch of 280 in question is quite literally devoid of development for the most part, so it’s not too hard to fathom someone sitting off the side of the highway in the treeline (where there are trees — not everywhere along this stretch) with a rifle doing this. My buddy who rides the Apple shuttles regularly texted me photos of the shattered windows - it’s positively scary, and I suspect closer to something like a .22 or a pellet gun with a LOT of velocity added.

It’s possible this is some kind of extremely ill-advised and dangerous attempt to fight back against Silicon Valley overlords by busting bus windows. But the reality is that the motive remains totally unclear at this point—and it’s really just luck that no one has been hurt. I choose to believe that this isn’t an attack against tech gentrifying San Francisco, but rather against giant coach buses gumming up the passing lanes of a very hilly freeway along one of the most scenic drives in the world. Especially sine the median income in Woodside is over $200,000. Get out of the left lane, tech buses.

I’m happy not to be the only one who hates how these buses never get out of the left (passing) lane, especially given the speed traffic tends to move on those stretches of 280. I’ve actually called some of the “how’s my driving” numbers to let them know the drivers were not yielding to faster traffic. For those who don’t know what I’m on about please see CVC 21654.

1. This is not fighting, it’s being a cowardly, ineffectual douchebag, and has absolutely no hope of effecting any change whatsoever, apart from the change that comes from being jailed for firing projectiles at a lot of people on a bus.2. You didn’t do shit. Who’s we?3. Go shoot out a landlord’s window instead of blaming people for being successful.4. Don’t do that, because that’s also stupid.5. Look in a mirror. There’s your problem.

We have multiple tech shuttles that pick up in my area. It wouldn’t be too difficult to attack them, just look at other protests we’ve had elsewhere in SF with people damaging windows and such. They’re also very easy targets on 280, where people can just sit in the park-and-ride lots just off the road and fire projectiles.

Wait, which is it, McKay? You quoted a fucking highway cop who said it appears unmarked tech shuttles are being attacked. Then you said the motivation is “totally unclear.” No, it’s not “totally” unclear, because you literally JUST QUOTED an official which removes a piece of the puzzle.

I was born and raised in the (South) Bay Area in the early 80s. I moved away in my early 20s and go back to visit my parents from time to time who still reside there. Every time I go back it amazes me how much it has changed since then. Most of that area as a child was farmland. San Francisco was fun to visit for the day, but for the most part ,people we knew had no interest in living there. There was actually a lot of very bad and dangerous parts to the city. Where ATT Park is now used to be horrible after sundown and you would avoid it at all cost. Now it is surrounded with fancy restaurants. A lot of my old childhood friends who live there still and did not catch the tech wave hold a lot of resentment against the tech workers yet fully admit they have never ventured beyond Santa Rosa, Gilroy or Livermore their entire life. This is important because a lot of home grown folks tend to believe the Bay Area is the center of the universe and there is no life beyond it. I admit I am torn about the whole thing because on one hand I am glad to see the success the Bay Area (South Bay in particular) has achieved in being the de-facto tech hub of the world, but at the same time placing a huge burden on those with lower incomes.